Summer Skin Care + Product Recommendations

The summer fun has just begun! And guess what that means? Yep, time to make some adjustments to our skin care routine. The great things about summer - the heat, the sun, the refuge of airconditioned places - are also hard on skin and causes it to change. These new conditions mean the skin care routine that got us through the harsh cold weather may not serve us at this time. Our skin changes with the seasons, so how we take care of it should too.

The cold, brittle weather of winter and early spring comes with its need to stay on top of our skins hydration by using products like oil serums and heavy moisturizers. Now, that routine needs to be switched to one befitting the hot, humid temperature of late spring and summer.

Our exposure to the sun increases drastically in the hot weather and with our wardrobe change we tend to show a lot more skin. We want that skin to look plump with hydration and radiant all summer long. To maintain healthy glowing skin our focus needs to be protecting our barrier and addressing the new skin complaints that come with the new weather. 

We are now fighting against...

The Heat

• increases water loss & natural oil production
• causes perspiration which contains ammonia, urea & sodium that can irritate & dehydrate skin
• speeds skin cell production, increasing environments primed for breakouts

The Sun

• Can burn our skin aka cause DNA damage to the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin)
• Causes skin damage that will lead to loss of elasticity, dry skin, hyperpigmentation & premature aging
• UV rays can reach through things like glass or clouds & can bounce off water causing twice the exposure

Air Conditioning

• Reduces humidity levels in the air which in term causes water loss in your skin

In hot weather, our skin will produce more natural oil and the increasing temperature will not support heavy cleansers, moisturizers or serums. The increase in UV exposure and humidity means our skin care needs change because we don’t want to exacerbate the issues that arise from the excess oils, perspiration, sun exposure, etc.

There isn’t a one-size fits all approach because needs change with skin type, so it is important to pay attention to how our skin reacts to the seasonal change in order to choose the right changes in our skin care routine.

Want to keep your skin radiant through the summer?

Here are some tips!

When the weather is hot it might be tempting to skip moisturizing because our skin doesn’t feel dry like it does in the cold months. This would be a mistake because with the hot weather comes increased sun exposure, perspiration and air conditioning. All of which dehydrate our skin.

It won't feel good slathering on the heavy moisturizers we used during the cold months when the hot weather comes because our skin does not absorb it as well. We all know the feeling of a layer of sweat and cream that isn’t absorbing on the surface of our skin. Yuck! No longer crippled by cold, the skin produces more heat, and applying a thick moisturizer will leave you icky and sweaty. Also, using a heavy cream can make our skin too oily and can cause breakouts.

What Do We Recommend?

The answer to this is, go for a lighter moisturizer instead. A fluffy, light lotion with high water content will give your skin the hydration it needs - nourishing it without the heaviness.

A light-weight facial cream that absorbs effortlessly and helps balance oil levels on your skin. Made with organic ingredients that help to diminish the appearance of wrinkles while keeping skin smooth and radiant.

Benefits

• Helps balance oil levels
• Lightweight & fast-absorbing
• High in antioxidants
• Perfect base for make up

Super-hydrating and fast-absorbing, Kahuna locks in moisture with the luxurious oils of virgin coconut and macadamia nut. Keeps skin feeling soft and moisturized with a super light feel. Treat yourself to a trip to the tropics every time you moisturize.

Benefits

• Uplifting aromas of ylang ylang & lemongrass
• Tones & invigorates skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite
• Light & fast-absorbing yet intensely hydrating
• Pro-aging with high amounts of antioxidants & fatty acids

Where cold weather skincare is all about moisture locking and boosting dry skin by using heavier cream cleansers with more hydrating ingredients, when the temperatures rise our skin doesn’t require the additional moisture because of the increased natural oil production.

What Do We Recommend?

Instead of using a thick, hydrating cleanser, a light gel cleanser that works to cleanse skin of impurities without adding excess oils is the way to go. Follow up with a soothing toner that helps to tighten up pores, restore your skin’s pH level and improve skin tone while removing excess debris left behind after cleansing.

A gentle cleanser that doesn't contain harsh, irritating ingredients but a mild, coconut-based foam with soothing aloe vera and witch hazel waters. Effectively removes excess oil and make up leaving skin clean and balanced.

Benefits

• Clarifying, purifying & pore refining
• Removes excess oil & make up without stripping skin
• Balances oil levels with a gentle non-irritating formula

A 100% organic alcohol-free toner that delivers powerful antioxidants and astringents to tighten up pores and prepare skin for moisturizing. Certified organic hydrosol (water) extracted from orange blossoms creates a purifying toner with a beautiful citrus scent. Delivers botanical hydration to skin before it gets locked in by a moisturizer. Can also be used with a cotton ball to lightly clean face or remove excess debris after cleansing.

Benefits

• A gentle alcohol-free formula
• Purifies & refines pores
• Astringent, great for oily skin types
• Delivers powerful antioxidants

During the cold months, we have to battle dryness, irritation, and itchiness and have to rely on oil serums to save our skin. Now that period is long over and using an oil-based serum in the hot months will be too much oil for our skin. Increased oiliness leaves our skin greasy and may cause breakouts. No thanks!

Oil-based serums are good at locking in the moisture we desperately need during the cold months but with the hot weather we want our skin to breathe and not get oily. Fear not, we don’t have to give up serums in the warm weather. We still need to replenish water levels because our skin is still exposed to environments that dehydrate it. 

What Do We Recommend?

Switch that oil serum for water-based serums. Water-based serums are ultralight and absorbent - they give all the benefits of an oil-based serum without being too heavy on the skin.

Nordic Boost replenishes water levels in skin keeping it soft and hydrated. This serum is formulated to tackle dry environments that zap moisture from skin leaving it dull, irritated, and flaky. As skin matures, it holds less water which can lead to premature aging and loss of elasticity. Nordic Boost is a blend of hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and extracts of moisture-retaining plants that boost your hydration levels keeping skin firm, smooth, and revitalized.

Benefits

• Restores hyaluronic acid levels in the skin helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles
• Supplies and retains healthy water levels in the skin giving it a firm, revitalized appearance
• Softens fine lines and reduces rough texture and flakes caused by skin dehydration

As we all know, too much exposure to UV rays without proper sun protection is a no-no because it damages our skin and escalates the aging process. Our skin produces a pigment called melanin that acts as a natural defense against the UV rays by surrounding our skin cells and trying to absorb all the UV radiation. But as anyone who has suffered from over-exposure knows, this defense system is flawed.

It darkens our unprotected/under-protected skin when it is exposed to the sun as its first act of defense.  The amount of melanin we produce is dependent on genetics. The more melanin we produce the more protection we have. That is why some of us get sunburned while others suntan under the same circumstances. The susceptibility towards sunburns increases for people with less melanin but anyone can get a sunburn. Be it burn or tan, both are signs of cellular damage to the skin. 

Sunburns are an inflammatory reaction to UV radiation damage to the skins outmost layer (epidermis). Sunburns cause short term pain, redness, inflammation, peeling or blistering in extreme cases of second-degree burns. But it does not end there even if the physical symptoms aren’t there. UV exposure causes long term cellular damage, slows down collagen production and skin cell turnover and can create uneven pigmentation. It also increases your risk of developing skin cancer. It’s important to have protection when you are outside for extended periods of time even if it is cloudy out. Read Our Blog When Skin Burns: What happens when you get too many UV rays

Having a good sunscreen is the first step to protecting our skin but it doesn’t permit us to sit in the sun all day. We must be sensible and look for ways to keep out of it while still enjoying the outdoors.  Find a tree, a gazebo, an umbrella or a porch and enjoy the beautiful day from a safe place out of the sun.

What Do We Recommend?

It’s becoming increasingly confusing to know what to use, especially when some commercial sunscreens have chemicals that are a concern for our bodies and the environment. Some people just avoid them all together and put their bodies at risk of too much sun exposure. So that’s not the solution. There are very safe and effective sun protection products out there. You just need to know what to look for. Here is a link to our quick guide to buying sunscreen

Using mineral sunscreens that have active minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide will protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects. Our SPF 30 Facial Sun Protection is a non-whitening, non-greasy, non-toxic product that is perfect for sensitive skin.

A mineral facial sunscreen with SPF 30 that will provide broad spectrum protection for your face without irritating your skin. Zinc and titanium act like tiny mirrors that reflect sun rays off your face rather than creating a chemical reaction on your skin. This non-greasy formula goes on easily and doubles as a light moisturizer. Packed with nourishing natural ingredients that help keep skin healthy and balanced. No break outs!

Benefits

• Light formula that won’t clog pores or irritate the skin
• Broad spectrum protection from UVA/UVB rays
• Contains natural ingredients with skin healthy antioxidants & fatty acids
• Reef/water safe

Antioxidants are present in a range of our skincare products because they do wonders for our skin. They neutralize and combat the development of free radicals that damage healthy skin cells. Free radicals begin to form after 15 minutes of UV exposure and continue to produce for around an hour after. Antioxidants are a vital after sun skin care ingredient because sunscreen does not address free radicals, unless it contains antioxidants itself.

In short, free radicals are oxygen containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons. Electrons want to be paired so when unpaired they become reactive and unstable and begin to look for a pairing electron to steal from surrounding molecules. When they steal an electron, the molecule that loses the electron becomes oxidized. It then starts to look for a mate for the newly unpaired electron and so starts a chain reaction of electron theft and oxidation.

Free radicals are a byproduct of natural body functions like metabolism where we use oxygen to help break down food for energy, but they are also produced through environmental exposure to pollutants and UV rays. When there is an imbalance between free radicals and our bodies naturally produced antioxidants, we can no longer neutralize all the free radicals. That is when they go rouge and begin to cause damage within our bodies. This imbalance is called oxidative stress and is one of the main ways in which our bodies age. 

How this affects our skin is when free radicals attack our skins DNA, proteins (like collagen) and lipids (like fatty acids) causing microscopic damage that over time presents on our skin as wrinkles, fine lines, thinning skin, loss of elasticity, uneven pigmentation and inflammation.

What Do We Recommend?

Thankfully, we can use topical antioxidants to help mitigate and correct this damage. Antioxidants are stable substances with an unpaired electron that neutralize free radicals by giving them the electron they are looking for and in effect stopping the chain reaction. This is one way we can work against oxidative stress.

It should be done proactively by using skin care products like natural moisturizers and serums rich in antioxidants underneath a mineral sunscreen before UV exposure. This way they can neutralize free radicals before they cause damage. They should also be used again for after-sun skin care to neutralize the free radicals that formed despite your sun protective efforts. Antioxidants should be used in tandem with sunscreen, antioxidants do not protect against UV rays.

Antioxidants don’t just neutralize free radicals they help to reverse sun damage. They fade wrinkles, fine lines, and spots. They help firm the skin, brighten the skin tone, calm skin inflammation, and help the skin repair itself.

A powerhouse antioxidant booster packed with nutrient rich concentrated botanical extracts that act to support skin's barrier while creating a warm and healthy carotene glow. CO2 (Supercritical Extraction) is one of the most efficient methods of creating a substance that embodies the entire plant and its capabilities. The CO2s of organic sea buckthorn, organic pomegranate and organic rosehip, all rich in powerful bioactives, work together to repair dry skin while Frankincense CO2 soothes and revitalizes it. Customize your routine by adding two drops to your serum or moisturizer to boost its anti-aging activity.

Benefits

• Rejuvenating, anti-aging concentrates from plants
• Protects skin’s moisture barrier
• Cooling, soothing formula suitable for sensitive skin
• Provides warm glow to skin tone
• Creates customization in skin care routine